


How Do I Say This?

by EllaAniMine



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Confession, Follows the final episode, Keith is finally in a good place, M/M, Mutual Pining, Nervous Keith, Post Season 6, S6 Spoilers, emotions are hard, they are good for each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-25 15:14:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14979857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllaAniMine/pseuds/EllaAniMine
Summary: Following an epic battle that changes the team, Keith feels like he really needs to talk to Hunk. He knows Hunk; knows that even if this doesn't go perfectly that he will still be gentle, but Keith has changed in more ways than one. He's nervous that it could be a deal breaker. That who he is now could be a deal breaker. Despite plenty of time to think about it, somehow Keith still cant quite find the right words in the moment.





	How Do I Say This?

It had been a long, LONG day.  
Lotor had betrayed the team, Voltron was almost overloaded with Quintessence, the Castle-Ship was sacrificed, and apparently Shiro REALLY hadn't been himself for who knows how long.

  
For Hunk to say he was tired was a massive understatement.

  
The team was trying to account for as much as they could in belongings and supplies, and Hunk was walking from his lion when he practically ran into Keith.  
"Whoa! I totally didn't see you there, Keith." Hunk produced a tired smile. "My bad."

  
"Actually, I was walking to talk to you anyway." Keith smiled too, clearly exhausted, and yet it still warmed Hunk's heart. "Do you have a minute?"

  
"Sure, I've always got time for you." Hunk gave Keith a once over, noticing in addition to how tired he looked that he was pretty beat up too. "You know, considering all that happened today this is probably the least of our worries, but... it's really good to have you back in your paladin armor."

  
Keith sighed and his smile grew tighter. "That's kind of part of what I wanted to talk to you about."

  
"Oh, okay shoot." Hunk knew Keith; they had grown closer in the time that they were in space, and Hunk had come to care for Keith very deeply. It was different from how he cared deeply for the others, but Hunk tried the best that he could to not let on about those feelings. Considering all that they were going through together and what Keith needed to deal with on his own, Hunk couldn't imagine that romantic feelings, wether they were reciprocated or not, was something that Keith would like to add onto the pile. But, Hunk had grown close enough to Keith to tell that something had changed since they last spoke. His brow didn't furrow quite as deeply as Keith thought of what he wanted to say, and when Keith looked at him there was something in his gaze that threw Hunk for a loop.

  
"When I left with the blade, I knew I needed to go. I... there was so much I was trying to figure out and that was the only way I was ever going to get closer to who I was." Keith spoke.

  
"I don't regret going, but there is... there's some stuff that I regret not doing before."

  
"Keith you don't have to be sorry about anything!" Hunk smiled, trying to be reassuring. "Going with the Blade of Marmora lead you to your mom!"

  
"I know, and I never expected..." Keith trailed off. "I don't regret going but I do regret before. There was a lot of stuff I wanted to say, but... I didn't because I didn't know how."

  
"I... I don't think I'm following."

  
"I've had a lot of time to think about it." Keith chuckled then. "Like, a LOT of time. I-" He fell silent and frowned.

  
"What's wrong?" Hunk asked.

  
"I don't know how to tell you." Keith said. "I don't know how to tell anyone."

  
"Keith whatever it is, it'll be okay." Hunk reached out to take his arm. "You can tell me."

  
Keith looked at him for a long moment before sighing and glancing away.

  
"When I came back this time," Keith began. "did I look... any different?"

  
"Uhh, I don't know..." Hunk shrugged, not really understanding. "I guess maybe your hair looks longer? And maybe you look a bit more buff, but I guess they kind of whooped you in the blade?"

  
"No I... I mean you're right, but" Keith sighed, trying to collect himself. "Before we made it to the colony where we found Rommelle... my mom and I, we... we had been traveling closer on the back of this huge... something. We were there for a long time..."

  
"That must have been hard." Hunk looked at Keith sympathetically, but something still seemed to be bothering him. Finally Keith heaved a big sigh and looked at Hunk in the eye.

  
"We were there for two years, Hunk." Keith barely croaked out.

  
"What??" Hunk took a step back. "What? That's crazy, how!?"

  
"Time worked differently, to say the least..." Keith glanced away and made to pull back.

  
"I guess that explains... a lot." Hunk held onto Keith's arm and looked at him reassuringly. Then he all but whispered, "Does anyone else know?"

  
"No," Keith was quiet. "I haven't figured out how to bring it up."

  
"Well, you brought it up to me." Hunk watched Keith look at him again and watched as Keith seemed... nervous.

  
"Because I wanted to talk to you about... well what I was getting at before." Keith took Hunks forearm that was still touching him. "Back then, before I left with the Blade, I didn't think it would matter so much... I didn't see the rush, and I was trying to deal with so much more, I- I just wish that I could change the way things went..."

  
"What do you mean?"

  
Keith looked at Hunk for a moment as if that would bring the words to his head. "Uhh... somehow this part is harder than telling you I'm two years older than when you last saw me." Keith laughed nervously. "I missed you. Like a lot, and I knew before that I felt this way but... I guess two years of thinking about it gave me a lot of perspective."

  
"What are you saying Keith?" Hunk could barely breathe; could barely believe what he was hearing.

  
"I think, Hunk, that I care about you. A lot." Keith swallowed, and pressed on. "So much more than I imagined. Maybe even... romantically."

  
"I... whoa" Hunk blinked in shock.

  
"I mean I understand if, with how much I've changed..."

  
"No no!" Hunk quickly refocused on Keith. "No I'm not rejecting you! I just, whoa, give me a second to process all of this, yeah?" Keith drew quiet, but he still looked concerned. It was as if he still thought that Hunk might not take the whole situation well.

  
"Keith I'm... I'm definitely not rejecting you. And, of course you being twice as rugged and handsome isn't the problem. I-well, I mean- Not that there IS a problem! I..." Hunk groaned, frustrated with his own racing thoughts and failing to communicate what he was really trying to with Keith.

  
"I've got some crazy feelings for you Keith." Hunk blurted out. "I guess that... I've been mulling them over for a while, but I never wanted to put any kind of pressure on whatever this was we had going. I- I knew, that you were searching for something and you weren't gonna find it here." Hunk looked Keith deep in the eyes. "But I mean I always hoped..."

  
"I'm not promising I'm going to be perfect... that WE will be perfect, but..." Keith smiled softly. "The whole time I was gone I couldn't stop thinking about you and wishing you were by my side. And I'm willing to work for that," Keith took Hunk's hand. "With you."

  
Hunk was about to answer with the strongest yes he could muster, but Keith's face looked stricken suddenly with panic. He began to pull away again.  
"Unless you don't want to! I understand if with everything; with Voltron and the universe, and going back home if... if you aren't looking to..."

  
Hunk pressed a soft kiss to the hands they were holding, causing Keith to trail off. Reaching out, Hunk trailed a thumb over the side of Keith's face, even lightly brushing the new scar as he admired Keith and how earnest he looked.

  
"I think we've waited long enough to just admit we like each other. So, first chance we get, let's go on a date and... it'll come."

  
Keith chuckled, warmth spreading throughout his whole body. "I didn't know if I'd ever be strong enough to tell you how I felt" Keith confessed. "But I couldn't go on any longer not telling you."

  
Hunk smiled softly and a bit sheepishly. "I love you too, Keith." He kissed him, as the beginning of thousands of kisses in a strong and fulfilling relationship. There was no telling what the future held, but they would love each other so deeply that they could conquer anything together.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you SOOOO much for reading!! This season actually killed me, I cried while watching it and then I cried some more after thinking about the love and support this team shows for each other and the love and support in my life too.  
> I hope that this fic helps at least in some way to soothe some of the wounds we received following this season, and no matter what happens in cannon I am firmly committed to continuing to love Heith and a bunch of other ships! <3  
> It would mean the world to me if you dropped a comment and kudos!  
> Thanks!!


End file.
